by D N Meinster
“Want to keep these guys up there as well?” Doren asked and picked up his miwolf and mideer. He’d never been allowed to keep pets in Castle Tornis. His father would remind him anytime they went out into the city that the horses they’d borrowed from the stables weren’t his. They were for the use of any Castle Tornis occupant.
“Where did you find those?” Rikki asked.
Doren snuggled with his new pets and realized he’d yet to name them. “They followed us to the keep.”
“They must want to join the Revolutionaries,” Slythe joshed. “Speaking of which.” His blades fell from his sleeves into his hands. “Time to get back, wouldn’t you say?”
Doren handed over his unnamed pets to Rikki, and she snuck them up her sleeves along with Ji-Ji. “I need one of those.”
“You still have this,” Rikki said, knocking a fist into his armor.
He couldn’t argue against having the armor. He’d have been impaled multiple times that day without it.
“So, where do you suppose Aros and the Revolutionaries have gone off to?” Rikki asked as she held out her staff for Doren.
Doren wrapped his hand on Rikki’s staff. “They were supposed to go to Fusion Forest.”
“Meet you there,” Slythe said, and with a spin, he was gone.
Moments later, Azzer shifted away as well.
“What if they’re not there?” Rikki asked. She still wasn’t sure how many days it had been since she’d left them, and she hadn’t asked for any clarification. They could’ve already plotted another revolt and been on their way back to the keep.
As far as Doren knew, the Revolutionaries had made Fusion Forest their home. “Where else would they be?”
Chapter Twenty-Three
The Last Stand of the Revolutionaries
It was the shrieks of the captive mages that announced the Hunters’ arrival. Their bodies were scarred and emaciated beyond recognition, yet they had enough sight left to lead the bearers of their chains straight to the Revolutionaries’ position.
Fash’s burly arms were wrapped entirely in chains, and his well-defined abs were visible even under the layers of chest hair. His mustache and goatee were trimmed shorter than the hair atop his head, though none of it compared to the fur that he’d strapped to his waist. The man was built as large as Yayne, though he was almost entirely muscle.
Next to him was Tonna, her black and yellow hair still in a bun and the animal she’d killed for her outfit matching the color scheme. She dropped the end of the chain to take aim with her bow, though the ensnared mage remained in place.
Behind the two Hunters was an army of at least one hundred, all armed with some form of club or blade to take out the prey they’d been after.
The Revolutionaries were paralyzed as they came to grips with the overwhelming odds they faced. Though their eyes were locked onto the enemy and their weapons were ready, they couldn’t move nor speak.
Aros immediately knew that they were at a disadvantage, but he saw an opportunity that his new allies couldn’t conceive of. While they let fear and indecision keep them planted, it was the lone outsider that walked forward, returning both clawblades to his back and sticking out his arm. With a swipe on his armor, an illuminated grid shone on the golden metal. Targeting the Hunters at the front of the pack, Aros dropped five fingers onto a specific point on the grid and let loose a massive beam of white light that appeared to swallow half his body.
The beam crossed the field between the opposing forces before colliding with an invisible wall just in front of the captive mages. It went no further and fizzled out.
Aros lowered his arm and stared unbelievingly at the Hunters. What magic were they using to block the Bellish weapon?
“Our turn,” Fash mouthed, and he whispered into the ear of the nearest mage.
His orders were enacted seconds later as Malaise Tracks burst into flames. Embers began to consume the corroded metal and aging glass, causing creaks and cracks to announce themselves while they were eaten away.
One of the Revolutionaries began backing up until he fully turned around and ran in the direction of the unseen lands. When he made it to the edge of the plains, he intentionally jumped into Oblivion, and his body was immediately lost amidst the darkness.
Loraya couldn’t believe what she’d witnessed. But the cowardice of one man had given her an idea. They were outnumbered and couldn’t take the Hunters head on, but if they fell back toward the unseen lands, perhaps they could outmaneuver their enemy.
Before she could announce her plan, another of their company charged forward. He was plucked by Tonna’s arrow almost instantly.
“Fall back!” Loraya yelled. She turned her head to Aros to make sure he heard. “Fall back!”
She spun around and grabbed Jemmy’s arm to pull him back with her.
“To where?” he asked.
“The border of the unseen lands!”
There was a spark in his tired eyes as he recognized what she was trying to accomplish. As he went along with her directive, the rest of the Revolutionaries followed. They abandoned the burning ruins of Malaise Tracks and took a position at the edge of Oblivion.
“What’s going on?” Aros asked when he finally caught up with Loraya.
“Plant yourself here,” she instructed. “When they get close enough…” She nodded to the black abyss right behind them.
“Tonna can pick us off,” Kyer complained from the other side of Jemmy.
As if on cue, one of her arrows was shot straight at the Revolutionaries’ leader.
Loraya took her bow in hand, and with her precise eye, fired her own arrow that knocked Tonna’s off target.
Kyer wasn’t impressed. “She’s got more than you do.”
“Do you have a better idea?” Loraya asked, ready to sink one into her brother.
“Loraya will hold off Tonna,” Jemmy stated, readying his rusted sword for battle. “Yayne, you go for Fash. Everyone else, we handle the rest.”
Aros took his clawblades back out, more confident in them than he was in the Bellish weapon. “What about the mages?” Lacking magic would be a serious drawback.
“They won’t risk them so close to the border,” Loraya guaranteed. She plucked another of Tonna’s arrows out of the air with her own.
A haze consumed the battlefield as Malaise Tracks continued to burn. Both sides waited on the other to make a move as the scent of the dying structure overtook the air and clogged their lungs. When it was clear the Revolutionaries would make their last stand near the unseen lands, Kahar’s loyalists began to march to them.
“Steady,” Loraya ordered as they approached.
Aros had seen forces much greater than this. The armies of Faunli had caused the very ground to shake. Though these men banged their clubs together as they came closer, it hardly incited the fear that they intended. No more Revolutionaries were jumping into Oblivion of their own volition. They were ready to fight for their lives.
“We only need to survive long enough,” Aros told Loraya.
“Long enough for what?”
“For Doren, Rikki, Slythe, and M’dalla to come back.”
Loraya wasn’t sure four more people would give them a chance for victory, even if one of them was a mage. But she was sure going to keep fighting as long as she could, and she knew every other Revolutionary would as well.
Fash charged forward, running ahead of his army and his mages. The captives attached to his chains dropped to the ground and he dragged them along as he made for his opponents.
Yayne sprinted to meet Fash and block his momentum, even if it took a collision to do it. But the Hunter swung his chain-encased right arm out in front of him, and the mage bound to those chains was ripped from the ground and slammed into Yayne.
Yayne tumbled down while Fash swung his left arm and targeted the other mage to strike another Revolutionary.
Loraya let loose an arrow that broke the chain as it reached toward them. One of the Revolutionaries rol
led out of the way as the loose mage tore past them and was swallowed by Oblivion.
Fash ceased his onward trajectory, but the rest of his army sped up and zoomed past him. They didn’t slow down even as they got within feet of their adversaries.
“Oh no,” Jemmy whispered, seeing what was coming right before it happened.
Instead of even attempting to engage the Revolutionaries in battle, packs of loyalists lunged into them, sending them all into the black abyss. For some it took three, for others it took five, but they were willing to sacrifice themselves to defeat their enemy.
The sounds of crunched bones and screams prevailed as hordes of men dropped into the unseen lands. One-after-another, the Revolutionaries numbers were diminished, their comrades condemned to the unknown darkness.
Loraya trembled as she saw them coming at her and her brothers. There were so many, and they were intent on killing them in any way possible. She fired every remaining arrow into them. Some dropped and were trampled. The others were egged on by those behind them and kept going.
“Jemmy,” Kyer moaned as he hopelessly stuck out his blade in front of him. The first loyalist impaled himself on it while the rest piled up behind him and pushed.
Jemmy turned his head and saw Kyer slide back into the unseen lands. He was still watching his brother when they crashed into him. One of their clubs broke his rusted sword, and seconds later, he was compelled backwards, into the darkness.
Loraya closed her eyes and accepted what was about to happen to her. She was going to die with the rest of her brothers. Terrastream would forever be lost. No one would dare stand against Kahar or his Hunters again.
She was shocked, sick, and ready for the oncoming mass to rid her of all the sprouting emotions. At least she wouldn’t have to live without them. She’d get to be with them all, even Aros.
The thought of him caused her to try and get one last glimpse of the man who unknowingly stolen her heart. She opened her eyes and saw him, not focusing on her but on the enemy. He was not afraid but determined.
Aros dropped both of his clawblades and aimed the Bellish armor once more. This time, when he fired it at the loyalists, it hit its target.
He took out groups of them at a time, consuming their bodies in the white beam and leaving charred remains behind. Bodies piled up in front of him and Loraya as he held them off with the rays of light.
But it was only enough to save the two of them. The rest of the Revolutionaries had already been lost.
The remaining loyalists fell back and regrouped. They took their place behind Tonna and her mages, where their invisible shield could protect them from the advanced weaponry.
“Yayne!” Loraya screamed, and she ran toward the only brother who hadn’t disappeared.
“Loraya!” Aros shouted before running after her.
Loraya fell to her knees and took Yayne’s hand. He didn’t respond to her touch, but the rise and fall of his chest indicated he was still breathing. She glared at Fash, who had taken refuge with the others.
Aros stood over the two siblings when he finally made it to their location. His clawblades hung limply in his hands, but he was not willing to put them away as the enemy stood so close. They were the only three left now, and they were easy targets.
What was he supposed to do in this situation? He wanted to try to comfort Loraya and get them all out of harm’s way. But they were trapped between a mass of Kahar loyalists and Oblivion. They couldn’t shift. They couldn’t run. There was nowhere to go.
There were no words to share, as they knew their predicament. Loraya stayed next to her brother, the only family she had left. Aros kept looking back-and-forth between them and the Hunters.
Then they started clanging their weapons together again. It was both more jubilant and more threatening this time. Why wouldn’t it be? They were winning.
Aros tightened his grip on the blades and shuffled into a spot between the Hunters and the remaining Lettes. He’d battle them all by himself if he had to. Between his clawblades and his Bellish armor, he was certain to take out a bunch before they could take him down. There was maybe half left from what had arrived, meaning they stood even less of a chance against him. He’d fought Faunli’s armies and Belliore’s peacekeepers. This was merely a ragged group of brainwashed scum. He could handle them.
The captive mages were the first to start moving, stretching out one bound leg after the other. The Hunters and their troops kept pace behind them. Undoubtedly, they wanted to stay behind that invisible wall so as not to be vulnerable to Aros’ long-range weapon.
Loraya finally rose and took her place next to Aros. “This is what I thought they’d start with,” she morosely stated.
Aros glanced at her. Loraya’s face was stained with tears and her quiver was empty. Her bow sat helplessly on her shoulder while she raised two fists. He couldn’t let her clash without a viable weapon, so he held out one of his clawblades in front of her. “Take it.”
“I’m not much with a sword.”
“Then fling it with your bow,” Aros replied.
A smile broke out on her face before she took it. Loraya laid the broad base on her palm and studied the curved tip. “Why make it like this?”
“Long story.” They looked into each other’s eyes before facing the oncoming legion.
“The last stand of the Revolutionaries,” Loraya said.
“Let’s make it count.” Aros was still hoping that they’d be able to keep them at bay until his friends returned, but he was no longer convinced of it. This truly could be his final battle. But he wasn’t afraid. It wouldn’t be the end for him or the mission. Rikki and Doren could gather the remaining Keys. And he’d move on to the Bastion, where Leidess waited for him. There he could ask Magenine why She’d told him to direct the Revolutionaries to the worst spot in all of Terrastream.
Wait, he could do that now.
“Why Magenine?” he shouted over the clanging. “Why here?”
Unexpectedly, She whispered back. “No time.”
“No time?” he repeated, unsure what it meant.
Loraya was only able to flash one confused look at him before one of Tonna’s arrows soared at her.
Aros was swift enough to block it with his blade.
The mages reached Aros’ position first but continued on without giving them any consideration.
Fash moved in on Aros, his hands locked together in one giant fist that he intended to pound into the Kytheran.
Aros swiped his clawblade out back and forth to keep the Hunter from getting any closer. Fash stayed just out of reach, but another loyalist swung his blade into Aros’.
The clawblade wobbled in his grip while Fash got even closer. Aros hopped back and tried to register Loraya’s status.
Loraya had taken off for the outside line of the legion. She was trying to circumvent the entire troop and get to Tonna, who lingered behind it. However, the loyalists would not let her get there without incident. Nearly half of them started running interference, trying to step into her path. They were acting as recklessly as she was, and she managed to slice and stick more than a few that got in her way.
After Aros successfully disarmed the latest attacker, he focused back on Fash. “Where’s your shirt?”
Fash showed no interest in conversing. He swung his fists out, even though they were out of reach.
Aros responded by raising an arm and slapping the right spot on the armor. A white beam launched at Fash, but he dropped down and let it consume the loyalists waiting behind him.
Aros wasn’t done. He aimed and tried to hit some of the troops that were going after Loraya.
A club rammed into Loraya’s side, and she stumbled into an unsuspecting loyalist right behind her. Without taking a breath, she stabbed the trooper she was resting on and then slit the neck of the one that had clubbed her.
Unfortunately, she’d failed to regain her footing, so as the loyalist behind her fell, so did she.
As she made to ge
t back on her feet, a white beam cleared some of the loyalists who were closing in. She sprang back up and continued on her trajectory to Tonna.
None of the troopers were willing to get any closer to Aros while he had his arm stretched out. They were afraid of the weapon. Even Fash hung back while he tugged on the chains, trying to get the mages to return to him.
That gave Aros an idea. Instead of targeting his opponents, he let loose his next attack on the chains. They broke with ease, freeing the mages, at least temporarily.
Fash’s face went red with fury. He reached back and let his newly shortened chain loose at Aros.
Aros held up his clawblade to take the hit. The chain ensnared his sword and a tug from Fash freed him of it.
Before Aros could get his arm back in position, the Hunter dove and tackled him to the ground.
Loraya batted away each arrow Tonna sent at her as she got closer. When she doubted her ability to deflect, she pulled the closest loyalist in front of her and let him take the barb. This only worked twice, before she was wrestled down from behind.
Fash wrapped both his hands around Aros’ neck and began choking the life out of him. His knee pinned down Aros’ chest and kept him from being able to reach the firing mechanism on his armor.
Aros squirmed and helplessly swung his limbs as the Hunter crushed his neck. He wasn’t afraid to die, but he hated the thought of leaving Loraya alone on the battlefield. He couldn’t give up while she still had some fight left in her. He wouldn’t abandon her.
So he prayed to the Goddess, who might’ve been listening. His lips moved even though no words came out.
His thoughts went fuzzy after he started, and his chest felt like it was on fire while his head felt like it might burst.
This was going to be the end if She didn’t listen.
Now that she didn’t pose a threat, Tonna came up to Loraya. She was pinned down by several loyalists, and the Hunter didn’t hide her exhilaration as she gazed at her defeated opponent.
Loraya could only watch as Tonna nocked an arrow for her.
Fash probably would have killed Aros if the tip of a sword didn’t penetrate his cheek.
